Retired admirals say purchase of Japanese subs by Australia key to Japan's defense against China

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By Ian McPhedran/National Defence Writer/news.com.au
10 March 2015

BUYING a Japanese submarine has more to do with the US alliance and protecting Japan from China than jobs or capability, according to two former Japanese admirals.

In a document obtained by News Corp, former Japanese Navy chief Vice-Admiral Yoji Koda and former submarine fleet commander Vice Admiral Masao Kobayashi argue that the “north-south cooperation” between Australia and Japan would provide “strategic and operational flexibility to the USA’s rebalancing policy”.
“This strategic relationship is a thing which no other nation can replace,” the document says.
The former admirals will tell a Royal United Services Institute conference in Adelaide later this month that cooperation between Australia and Japan on submarines would “support and enhance military capabilities of US forces deployed in this area, which, along with Japan and Australia will jointly face the same challenges.”

Talks ... US President Barack Obama, Tony Abbott and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the G20 summit in Brisbane. Source: News Corp Australia

Japan has been building one submarine a year for the past 60 years and Prime Minister Tony Abbott was late last year reportedly close to announcing that Japan would build the navy’s future submarine under a deal with Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and with the blessing of Washington.

Secret deal ... Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during their visit to an iron ore mine in the Pilbara, Western Australia. Picture: Gary Ramage Source: News Corp Australia

However Japan has never exported any military technology let alone its most sensitive submarine technology.
Under pressure over a possible “secret deal” with Japan the Abbott Government has announced a competitive evaluation process involving Japan, Germany and France.
The designer of the Collins Class boats, Swedish firm Kockums now owned by Saab, was excluded from the deal despite its leading edge technology and 100-year history.

Cutting edge ... the type 216 submarine from German builder Thyssen Krupp Marine Systems (TKMS). Picture courtesy TKMS. Source: Supplied

“A submarine’s ability to ambush and intercept surface and sub-surface shipping in narrow waters will be an ideal capability to meet Japan’s strategic objectives and JMSDF’s (Japan Maritime Self Defence Force) mission of controlling choke points in the south-western Island chain in the future,” the Admirals say.
“At the same time an enhanced submarine capability of the RAN (Royal Australian Navy) will firmly support showing Australia’s strategic intent to deter illegal or aggressive actions by any one nation against neighbouring nations, as well as deter potential adversaries.”
A retired American submariner, who asked to remain anonymous, told News Corp Australia that buying a Japanese sub would create a risk for Australia in terms of possible “mistaken identity” given the identical “signatures” of the boats.

Risk ... a Japanese Soryu Class submarine at sea. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

Without mentioning China by name the ex-admirals go on to say that Australia’s “determined strategic signals” would have a strong and stabilising influence on the complicated situations in the South China Sea.
China has been flexing its military muscles in this disputed region for several years.

Big guns ... in this photo released by China's Xinhua news agency, a destroyer of the South China Sea Fleet of the Chinese Navy fires a missile during training in the South China Sea. Picture: AP Source: AP

“These independent effects will support and enhance military capabilities of US forces deployed in this area, which along with Japan and Australia will jointly face the same challenges,” they say.

Strategy ... the Japanese Maritime Defence Force's destroyer Kongo launces a missile off Hawaii. Source: AFP

The admirals say that close security coordination reinforced by possible industrial cooperation between the two US allies would accelerate the US push to the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.
“And eventually help to deter a potential adversary’s adventurism.”